A government official stressed early Monday that a significant progress
in government's negotiations with the troika of Greece's lenders has been
made, however, "we are at a point that a political decision must be taken
until the Eurogroup meeting on March 10" after a marathon meeting between
the economic team, the heads of the troika and Development Minister
Costis Hatzidakis and Administration Reforms Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

It is worth noting that at 3 a.m a minister clarified that after,
according to him harsh negotiations, there aren't any technical proposals
left. He added that "things are very tough'' and that there is still hard
work to be done until Monday (the Eurogroup meeting for the approval of
the tranche) in order to make an agreement.

The meeting with the troika started on Sunday at 8 pm after the
conclusion of a small Cabinet meeting at the Finance Ministry with
the participation of Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras, Minister of
Administration Reforms Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Development Minister Costis
Hadzidakis, Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis, Health Minister Adonis
Georgiadis and Justice Minister Charalambos Athanassiou.

Issues that remain still open are:

-The tools of OECD to strengthen competition

-the release of commercial leases

-The private debt and the implementation of the "Irish model" for the
heavily indebted borrowers

An Administration Reforms Ministry top official said that "we remain
adamant to our positions. Nothing has closed yet, we will meet again. It
will be hard to finish by Friday. If we who have a simple job can't agree,
you can imagine what it's like for other issues."

The Finance Ministry noted that there is no disagreement over any
fiscal issue particularly on 2014's fiscal gap. However, according to
the ministry's officials, troika continues to object over the allocation
of the primary surplus.

Health Minister and Development Minister are expected to meet again with
the troika on Tuesday and until Friday representatives of Greece's lenders
will visit all the involved ministries. Government officials hope that
by the end of the overall negotiations there will be an agreement in
principle and that a political decision on the approval of the tranche
will be reached at March's Eurogroup meeting.

One of the greatest international political crises of recent decades
is unfolding in Ukraine, government Vice President and Foreign Minister
Evangelos Venizelos said late on Monday from Brussels.

Venizelos, who is in Brussels to attend an emergency EU Foreign Affairs
Council meeting, said that the Council sent clear messages based on
international law on the necessity of respecting Ukraine's territorial
integrity, the existing sovereign borders, international rules on dialogue
and the need to avoid violence or threaten violence.

These messages are addressed to both Russian and Ukrainian governments,
he added, while the Council "stressed the importance of inclusive and
combinational nature of the interim government in Ukraine, with the
participation of all social, political and ethnic parameters from all
of the country's regions."

Responding to domestic political criticism, Venizelos said, "Some people
in Greece do not understand what the threat is for Greece, if it acts in
an amateurish and superficial way, like they propose... The way they deal
with domestic politics is not feasible at European level... Irresponsible
behaviour cannot be transposed on an international level. If they do so,
the cost for Greece will be exorbitant."

Relations between Ukraine and Russia are key to more than the immediate
region and must be resolved with self-restraint, calmness, dialogue
and within international law and conventional agreements, government
Vice President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos said on Sunday,
after a meeting in Kiev with President of Ukrainian Parliament and acting
President Oleksandr Turchynov and Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsia.

The Greek official was paying an emergency visit on Sunday as chairman
of the EU's Council of General Affairs, during Greece's EU Presidency.

Venizelos expressed his satisfaction that the interim Ukrainian government
has pledged to continue the process of Ukraine's membership in the
European Union by signing the EU's Association Agreement.

Prior to flying to Kiev, Venizelos had met on the same day with the Greek
community in Mariupol to assure them of Greece's support and protection,
an issue he brought up with Ukraine's interim government, which pledged
its support.

Stressing the acute economic crisis Ukraine is facing, the Greek Foreign
minister said that, as he came from a country with comparable experience
and relevant know-how, he proposed an international convention to examine
how the country could be financially supported, as the intervention of
the International Monetary Fund would not be enough.

"Greece, as president of the European Union's Council, wants to contribute
to the best degree possible to normalisation of the situation in UKraine,"
Venizelos said before his meetings in Kiev.

On Monday, he is attending an emergency meeting of EU Foreign ministers
in Brussels to discuss the Ukraine crisis.

Greece is fully behind the Greek community in Ukraine and will do
everything it can to safeguard it, Government Vice President and Foreign
Minister Evangelos Venizelos said in Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine,
where he is paying an emergency visit on Sunday as chairman of the EU's
Council of General Affairs.

"Greece, as president of the European Union's Council, wants to contribute
to the best degree possible to normalisation of the situation in UKraine,"
Venizelos said in a statement released by the ministry, outlining his
intention to meet with top-level Ukraine officials prior to an emergency
meeting of EU Foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

"I am going to Kiev," he said in an address to the Greek community
of Mariupol, "to meet with the country's new leadership - the prime
minister, Foreign minister and the president of Parliament - and what is
utmost right now is to resolve the crisis in relations between Russia and
Ukraine. The situation must be normalised, as foreseen by international
law, between two neighbouring and friendly countries, which are also
tremendously significant for the European Union as well, for Europe as
a whole and for global peace, security and stability."

In his address, he said, "I want to assure you, as Greek citizens,
that Greece has you under its full coverage and protection and we will
utilise all options we have, national and European, so that you have
this coverage, this care you must have, during these difficult times."

Venizelos noted he was aware of the community's long-standing problems
and had been briefed for years by officials, but that at present he was
there to "convey to you the message (of support) of the President of
the Republic Karolos Papoulias, the prime minister, the Parliament, and
all political powers - because we are united as a nation when there is
a need to protect our compatriots everywhere in the world. The Foreign
ministry and the government overall is on your side, and the General
Consulate and Embassy in Kiev is your home."

According to ministry sources, Venizelos has been in constant
communication during the crisis with Catherine Ashton, high representative
of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European
Union, with his EU counterparts and with other international officials
in the area.

Main opposition SYRIZA strongly attacked Government Vice President and
Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos for his stance over the Ukranian
crisis noting that "the Greek government is again left behind in
developments, on foreign policy issues" in an announcement on Monday.

The danger of war in Ukraine and the country's disintergration are
very dangerous for the peace and the European people's prosperity,
said SYRIZA, adding that Venizelos' visit to Ukraine was only a move
to cover up the Greek EU Presidency's absence from the developments,
it was a public relations visit and made no substantial contribution
towards the solution of the crisis.

At the same time, said SYRIZA's announcement, the Greek Foreign minister
said nothing about neo-Nazi groups' participation in the new Ukranian
government which promote the abolition of the rights of the minorities,
nor he condemned the attacks on historic buildings, monuments and against
Ukranian citizens. It is clear, noted SYRIZA that human rights are being
violated along with the democratic rights of the Ukranian citizens.

Regarding Venizelos' proposal on the offer of economic support to
Ukraine with the participation of the International Monetary Fund
"to which Greece will contribute with its 'know-how', it indicates
how unrealistic are the Greek government's proposals and initiatives,"
Tsipras said, adding that "a country's foreign minister can't operate
as a 'proxy' of powerful geopolitical interests and of financial credit
forces. Europe should not find itself in the middle of a new Cold War."

He stressed that "peace must be safeguarded along with Ukraine's
territorial integrity, the independence and the security of its citizens
without zones of influence and foreign protector based on a viable,
democratic and political solution within the context of international
law. The sovereign people of Ukraine should be the one that will decide
for its future in conditions of peace and democracy and the Greek
government must serve this necessity to the international organisations
that it participates."

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) "follows with great concern
developments in Ukraine and wants to note especially now that there must
be no involvement by Greece in the USA-EU plans for Ukraine, absolutely
no participation in this dangerous game of competition with Russia."

In a written statement, KKE Secretary General Dimitris Koutsoumbas said
that "it becomes once again obvious what the reactionary role is of the
EU and NATO, which are intervening in Ukraine's domestic issues, even
to support neo-Nazi parties in order to serve their geopolitical schemes."

"The Greek people must be on alert. Capitalist crisis and imperialist
wars are linked closely, and the populace has nothing to gain from
Greece's participation in these schemes," he warned.

The most recent developments in Ukraine "show the necessity of an active
intervention by the international community in order to avert bloodshed
and safebuard the country's integrity," opposition Democratic Left
(DIMAR) said in an announcement on Saturday.

"Besides an ending in extreme-right and nationalist violence, it is vital
for the country to move immediately to democratically-held elections in
order to restore legality," it added.

[08] Defence minister: Ukraine crisis must not lead back to zero-sum game

The relations of the West with Russia are not a zero-sum game, and mutual
understanding along with international rule must prevail, Defence Minister
Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Monday from Boston.

Prior to the start of a congress on the future of Europe held at Harvard
University, where he was keynote speaker, Avramopoulos said, "During
these critical hours, diplomacy must rule and a political solution must
be found. It is not just the peaceful resolution of a regional crisis
that is at stake, but global stability as well."

The Defence minister said, "We have two enemies before us: nationalistic
extremism and totalitarianism," adding that the post-World War II period
"proved that our relations, between the Western world and Russia were
not a zero-sum game. On the contrary, a modus operandi was found to
bring the sought-after stability."

This hour is "again a time to reaffirm our commitment to the value of
mutual empathy and understanding," he added, "which is the heart of
international law," and expressed his optimism that the crisis will
be overcome.

[09] Gov't spokesman criticises SYRIZA leader for 'pretending to be a
European candidate'

Main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras "cannot overcome his
bad habits even if he tries to pretend he is a European candidate,"
government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said on Saturday in response to
a speech made by Tsipras in Ljubljana, where he promoted his candidacy
for European Commission president.

"It is a time for truth and specific action so that the Greek people
can judge who can, and how, lead (the country) to the exit from the
crisis best and fastest," Kedikoglou said, responding to Tsipras, who
had said that his party would be the next government and its victory
"will signify a deep rift with Greece's past."

In his speech, Tsipras had also criticised the banking system and called
for the immediate cancellation of all memorandums and the coordinated
revival of all European economies.

The European Union will continue to support social structures in
high-unemployment peripheral regions of Europe, Employment, Social Affairs
and Inclusion Commissioner Laszlo Andor said in the northeastern city
of Kavala on Monday, but he also called on regional authorities to take
the initiative.

Andor is in the Eastern Macedonia-Thrace area to attend a conference
Tuesday, as part of Greece's EU Presidency, on "The role of peripheries
in applying the Youth Guarantee scheme, 2014-2020."

The EU programme provides funds to help people up to age 25 "receive a
good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship
or a traineeship within four months of leaving school or becoming
unemployed," according to the programme's description.

The commissioner met with Kavala mayor Costis Simitsis, also president of
the peripheral association of the area's municipalities, and said that "at
the European Parliament we are responsible for making important decisions,
but in order to turn our decisions into reality, the peripheries must
play a leading role; we shall discuss the means of how they can achieve
this in the best way possible."

During his visit, Andor also visited two EU-funded centres in Kavala
- a centre for creative activities for individuals with physical or
cognitive impairments and a model day nursery in the Neapoli district.

Government Vice President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos
attended the congress of European Socialists Party (PES) which on Saturday
elected European Parliament President Martin Schulz as their candidate
for the presidency of the European Commission.

Venizelos, leader of PASOK, said during his interventions that "European
socialists want a Europe that helps its citizens; this is what Martin
Schulz's candidacy represents."

"European socialists must convince citizens that a united Europe does not
mean unemployment, recession and austerity, but growth, social cohesion
and employment," he added.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas is in Geneva on Monday to
attend the 25th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Kourkoulas will intervene on behalf of the European Union, as
representative of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton.

He will speak on the same day at the Conference on Disarmament, where
Greece has the status of observer.

[13] Public Order Minister co-chairs EU Justice and Home Affairs Council
meeting

EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on Monday in Brussels will
focus on the European Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation and Training
as well as issues regarding the undocumented migration. Greek Public
Order Minister Nikos Dendias co-chairs the meeting.

On his arrival to the meeting, Dendias stated among others that "we will
discuss a regulation proposal on European Agency for Law Enforcement
Cooperation and Training, which is as he said, of major importance for
the Greek EU presidency and very important for Europol and Cepol. We
will also discuss the migration flows and pressures".

Gas canisters placed during the night damaged the office of lawyer and
New Democracy Political Committee member Failos Kranidiotis early on
Sunday morning in central Athens.

The explosion, shortly after 1:00 a.m., damaged the entrance of the
office on 12 Skoufou Street in the Plaka district.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou condemned the bombing and said "all
democratic forces must raise a wall against the adherents of violence
and terrorism."

New Democracy party also strongly condemned the attack, warning that
"whoever tries to use violence to terrorise their political adversaries
and create impressions of insecurity need to understand they will not
succeed."

Former prime minister George Papandreou called on the government on
Saturday to revoke its decision to appoint Yiannis Papathanassiou
president of Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE), stressing that the former
Finance minister is greatly responsible for the country's progression
to catastrophe, along with former premier Costas Karamanlis.

In an announcement, Papandreou said the government's decision is
"unacceptable" and that it is "deeply troubling" and infuriating, as
it comes, along with other similar decisions, "in direct contravention
of the painful efforts by the Greek public for Greece's exit from the
crisis and for changing what is wrong."

Papandreou also criticises his party, PASOK, for allowing the appointment,
as a ruling coalition member.

In explaining his criticism, the former premier said the issue was not
Papathanassiou himself, but the return of mentalities and behaviours of
the Karamanlis government that led the country to crisis and that were
applied by the former Finance minister. He charged him with hiding the
truth from the Greek public during his tenure as minister, as, despite the
Hellenic Statistical Service's (ELSTAT) reported deficit of 16 percent,
Papathanas-siou told Eurostat that the deficit was only 6 percent. The
real fiscal data, he said, is signed by Karamanlis and Prime Minister
Antonis Samaras and is included in the introductory report of last year's
draft budget, which they voted in Parliament.

Papathanassiou and the views he represents are bearers of a catastrophic
policy that "harmed the public interest and did not respect the money
of Greek citizens," he said, unlike the transparency that the PASOK
government tried to establish.

Greece is a popular holiday destination for American tourists, according
to travel agents and other visitors to the Greek National Tourism
Organisation (EOT) kiosk at the New York Times Travel Show in New York
City, taking place from February 28 to March 2.

The show was held at the Javits Centre, and is held annually.

It was a great success and a very important exhibit for Greece, the
head of EOT's office in the United States, Grigoria Kamaterou, told
ANA-MPA. "There was a long line of visitors at the Greek kiosk who
wanted information on tourism in Greece. Most knew quite a few things
about Greek history and the islands and were looking for the one thing
that differentiated Greece from other places they had been to; they knew
they could find this difference, this uniqueness, in Greece," she said.

She added, "Greece as a product is outstanding by itself, and the only
thing we do is to showcase it."

The Greek kiosk was visited by government officials and travel agents
from other show participants, including Greek Consul General in New York
George Iliopoulos, Consul Manolis Kambourakis and Press and Communications
Officer Nikos Papakonstantinou.

The cost of the "Lent table" this year is lower by about 4 percent,
compared to last year, mostly due to a drop in fresh and frozen seafood
prices, according to estimates provided by the National Confederation
of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE).

In a statement on Saturday, Confederation president Vassilis Korkidis
said that the estimates were based on prices at the main Athens and
Piraeus fish markets. On average, prices dropped by around 4 percent,
while some products dropped as much as 10 percent or more, he said.

Other foodstuffs however showed a slight increase, while the staples of
Lent meals like tarama (fish roe) and the "lagana" (flatbread) remained
at 5.50 euros per kilo, and 2.80 per loaf, respectively.

Overall, he said, the cost of a meal during the "Kathari Deftera"
(Shrove Monday) weekend, preceding the start of Lent, dropped by 2.52
percent from last year, or about 88.95 euros.

In statements on Wednesday, February 26, ESEE had said that lower prices
of basic products prices will not necessarily lead to improved living
standards, and connecting them is misleading.

Commenting on a report by the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods
- according to which the market basket of consumer goods in Greek super
markets was cheaper in February 2014 compared to those in England, France
and Spain - ESEE stressed that wages in Greece have been dropping as well.

Only a few Athenians braving rainy weather went to the Filopappou Hill
on Monday for "Clean Monday", which marks the first day of the Eastern
Orthodox Lent - or Shrove Monday - with the consumption of shellfish,
taramosalata (fish roe salad), lagana (unleavened bread), halvah and
legumes. It is also traditionally a day for flying kites.

Officials of the municipality of Athens handed out about 2,000 servings
of lagana, olives and halva. Only a few kites were flown, due to the
heavy rain. Live music was also cancelled because of bad weather.

"The weather cancelled our plans but we are here with the brave ones,
sharing food and having a good time," said the mayor of Athens Giorgos
Kaminis.

"Today at the Filopappou Hill Athenians gave their best self to their
fellow citizens and a good example of a municipality of sharing citizens
who can really do wonders," said Athens mayoral candidate for Aris
Spiliotopoulos.

Gavriil Sakellaridis, who is also a candidate for mayor of Athens,
stressed: "We want to remind everyone that it is up to us to be able to
bring back into our lives optimism, hope and joy".

The three were joined by a fourth mayoral candidate, Nikitas Kaklamanis,
former mayor of Athens, at the Ambelokipi district KAPAPs park, where
the city held another similar event for Clean Monday.

A 79-year-old man was arrested on Friday after beating his estranged wife,
73, to death in the Avdella village of Evros region, northeastern Greece.

According to police, the man was in his wife's courtyard and got into an
argument with her. He then hit her on the head and neck with a wooden
cane, fatally injuring her, before knifing himself on his hands and
abdomen.

Police confiscated a cane and a 28-cm knife, while the man was taken
to the Alexandroupoli University General Hospital where he is under
guard. Police at Didymoteicho, northeastern Greece, is investigating.

[23] Four foreign nationals arrested for human trafficking in Evros
River area

Five foreign nationals were arrested on Saturday for human trafficking
involving 24 people they smuggled into Greece through the northeastern
border area of Marasia.

According to police, four Syrian nationals - aged 20, 26, 26 and 29 - used
a dinghy to cross Evros River and bring in the country 24 undocumented
migrants from Turkey. The migrants were picked up by a Turkish national,
35, who put them on a truck and was planning to release them further
into Greece.

The five were arrested in the Orestiada area by police who also
confiscated the truck, the dinghy and 1,400 euros. They will be led
before a prosecutor in Orestiada.

Olympiakos club fans are prohibited from organizing mass transportation
to the basketball game between Olympiakos and Apollon Patras, taking
place on Shrove Monday (Kathari Deftera), March 3, at 5:00 p.m. at the
Patras team's home turf in Perivola.

Western Greece Police Headquarters passed on a request by the Achaia
prefecture police to the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The decision
was signed by Deputy Sports Minister Ioannis Andrianos.

Rain and thunderstorms in the morning in most areas of Greece, abating
and restarting in the evening, especially in western Greece. Southerly
winds from 4 to 6 Beaufort rising to 8 in the Aegean Sea. Temperatures
from 6C to 18C. In Athens, overcast leading to rain and possibly a brief
thunderstorm in the afternoon, improving at night. West-southwesterly
winds 3-5 Beaufort that will pick up strength to 7 Beaufort before
dropping at night. Temperatures from 8C to 16C. In Thessaloniki, the same,
with winds reaching up to 5 Beaufort. Temperatures from 7C to 13C.